The number of total minutes for Irish players in the Premier League saw a significant rise this season – but there’s a catch.
Irish involvement in the English top-flight has been on the slide for years, with the 2022/23 season marking the first time there were no Irish players in any of the starting XIs across a full round of matches.
Irish players amassed a whopping 60,000 minutes of action across the 1992/93 campaign, itself the first after the old First Division was rebranded.
That figure has been on the slide for years, plummeting as low as 9,940 minutes – across 14 players – last season but the most recent campaign has brought this stagnation to an end.
But there’s a catch:
Irish players in the Premier League: 2023/24
With the latest Premier League campaign complete, we now know Irish players contributed 15,593 minutes between them – a remarkable increase of two-thirds over last year.
Just two outfield players – Seamus Coleman and Nathan Collins – made over 20 league appearances last season, with the bulk of the minutes coming from Gavin Bazunu.
Even with the Southampton star in the Championship this season, and Coleman out of action for half the campaign with a serious knee injury, the numbers have nevertheless soared.
Dara O’Shea, Collins, Matt Doherty, Chiedozie Ogbene, Evan Ferguson, and Josh Cullen all managed to clear over 20 top-flight outings.
O’Shea is top of the pile having clocked 2,894 minutes across 33 appearances for Burnley, while teammate Cullen pitched in with 2,059.
Second on the list is Collins – now onto his third Premier League side in Brentford – with a tally of 2,649 minutes.
The likes of John Egan (484) and Coleman (662) would have gotten that number higher far more if not for injury while Caoimhin Kelleher (900) and Andrew Omobamidele (782) were also solid contributors.
What’s the reason behind this change? The newly-promoted sides already counted Egan and Cullen among their ranks before going on to add further Irish talent last summer.
Burnley plucked O’Shea from West Brom as one of their first signings while Ogbene moved up from Rotherham on a free to Luton Town.
Irish numbers were also boosted by Doherty’s return from Atletico Madrid to Wolves, as although he rarely started, the Dubliner was a constant presence off the bench for Gary O’Neil’s side.
Although Ferguson ended a season with a lengthy goal drought and an injury, his ascension from the Brighton youth ranks was also a major positive.
The likes of Sam Curtis, Alex Murphy, and Mark O’Mahony all made their Premier League debuts this season and can hopefully contribute again in the future.
For as much good news as there is with this season’s final tally, there is an uncomfortable truth amongst it all.
The three newly-promoted sides were all sent back down to the Championship and with them goes a wealth of Irish talent.
Unless they find new clubs come August, Egan, Cullen, O’Shea, and Ogbene – who put together a combined 7,430 minutes – are all Championship players once again next season.
Is anyone coming up to replace them? Not likely. There are no Ireland internationals in the Leicester squad and only the uncapped Jack Taylor in Ipswich’s ranks. Play-off finalists Leeds also currently have no one.
Their play-off opponents Southampton have plenty in the form of Ryan Manning, Bazunu, and Will Smallbone, meaning Irish neutrals will be hoping for a Saints win come Sunday.
So for as much as this Premier League season has been positive for Ireland, it could be back to business as usual come 2024/25.
Ireland’s Premier League top five
As per the Premier League website:
- Dara O’Shea: 2,894 minutes (33 apps)
- Nathan Collins: 2,649 minutes (32 apps)
- Josh Cullen: 2,059 minutes (25 apps)
- Chiedozie Ogbene: 1,993 minutes (30 apps)
- Evan Ferguson: 1,365 minutes (27 apps)